UFC Fight Night in Oklahoma City this weekend is straight up "No Man's Land," and it perfectly captures the wild spot two former champions, Dricus du Plessis and Kamaru Usman, find themselves in. Just a week after the whole Conor McGregor UFC 329 circus, these guys are fighting in the middle of the country, and their careers are at a crossroads.
DDP's Middleweight Nightmare
Let's be real about Dricus du Plessis: the dude is in a rough spot. He lost his 185-pound belt to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in such an undramatic way, it still stings. He hasn't even fought since that blowout loss in August 2025! Now, he's ranked No. 2 at 185 pounds, but beating Usman, who's not even a middleweight contender, guarantees him virtually nothing for a title shot. He's already faced Sean Strickland twice before, the guy who snagged the belt from Chimaev a couple months back. So yeah, DDP is too close to the situation, and this fight isn't exactly his golden ticket back to the top. OKC might mistake him for a contender, but the facts scream otherwise.Usman's Welterweight Woes and Middleweight Gamble
And then there's Kamaru Usman, the former welterweight champ. His situation is even wilder. He swore beating Joaquin Buckley 13 months ago was enough for a 170-pound title shot, but the UFC matchmakers were not having it. Why? Because before that Buckley win, Usman hadn't won a fight at 170 pounds since *2021*. That's not just a minor detail, it's a gaping hole! The welterweight division is stacked right now, with Ian Machado Garry taking on Islam Makhachev for the title at UFC 330 next month, and Michael Morales waiting as the backup. It's a crowded room, and Usman, at 39, is currently ranked No. 10 at 170 pounds. So, what's his move? Usman is going up to middleweight, a division he's only dipped his toes into once before back in 2023 against Chimaev. He's claiming a victory over du Plessis (who's ranked No. 2 at 185 pounds) would somehow deliver him a middleweight title shot. And when asked who's next at the UFC OKC media day, Usman casually dropped, "Sean Strickland. I mean, that makes sense. That's pretty easy. It's either Sean Strickland or Islam [Makhachev], if Islam is still the champion, which I assume he will be." This is a man who is currently *unranked* as a middleweight, talking about fighting the champ! But hey, we all saw his Colorado gym-mate Justin Gaethje cut the line and become lightweight champion. If Usman can pull off the upset here, he might actually leapfrog the entire field. The odds are long, but this is the UFC, right?This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.